The former IIT professor was agitating since June this year demanding that Ganga river should flow ‘undisrupted’ and that all ongoing hydro power projects on the Ganga basin should be stopped. He has also been demanding enactment of the Ganga Protection and Management Act.

Swami Sanand was also a member of National River Ganga Basin Authority during the UPA tenure. In 2010, he fasted for 38 days seeking scrapping of 600 MW Lohari Nagpala project on Bhagirathi River as it “hampers” free flow of water. Later, a three-member group of ministers scrapped the project.

In fact, this is the second death of a fasting seer demanding undisrupted flow of Ganga. In 2011, Swami Nigamanand (36) of Matri Sadan died after fasting for more than 2 months, seeking a ban on illegal mining in Ganga river.